Sports

Petition against Wolves ticket hike passes 11,000

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A petition against increases in season ticket prices for football club Wolverhampton Wanderers has passed 11,000 signatures.

The protest was organised by fans left angered at the price rise, most notably seen in under-14s tickets which have jumped from £105 ($135/€125) to £290.

The petition organisers claim that the increase had sent “shockwaves” through the Premier League side’s fanbase and resulted in a call to arms.

“As chair of the trust, I want you to boycott it,” said Daniel Warren of the Wolves 1877 Trust fan group, as reported by BBC Sport.

A statement was also released by seven supporter organisations, reading: “We encourage those at the club to reconsider the approach to ticket prices before irreversible damage is done to the fanbase and the local community.”

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi has defended the decision, however, and says it comes after taking into consideration fan feedback.

Ultimately though, commercial growth has been the decisive factor with it said to be “vital” for the club’s sustainability.

Shi also said that the club’s aim is to ensure prices are neither significantly more or less than others.

It comes after other Premier League clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Fulham all announced ticketing price rises.

“We do listen to fan feedback, and we understand that price increases are unpopular, but our aim is to ensure our prices are neither significantly higher nor lower than our peers,” said Shi.

“Our ticketing team has thoroughly researched and compared Wolves with other clubs, and I believe our pricing reflects a fair and reasonable balance based on our current position, past growth and future aspirations.”